Analysis of Insect-Plant Interactions Affected by Mining Operations, A Graph Mining Approach

TL;DR

This paper applies graph mining and network science techniques to analyze insect-plant interactions affected by mining, aiming to identify key species, predict extinctions, and assess ecosystem damage in Scotland.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of network science to biological interaction data, focusing on conservation amid mining impacts.

Findings

Identified key species crucial for ecosystem stability

Developed models to predict secondary extinctions

Assessed the extent of ecosystem damage due to mining

Abstract

The decline in ecological connections signifies the potential extinction of species, which can be attributed to disruptions and alterations. The decrease in interconnections among species reflects their susceptibility to changes. For example, certain insects and plants that rely on exclusive interactions with a limited number of species, or even a specific species, face the risk of extinction if they lose these crucial connections. Currently, mining activities pose significant harm to natural ecosystems, resulting in various adverse environmental impacts. In this study, we utilized network science techniques to analyze the ecosystem in a graph-based structure, aiming to conserve the ecosystem affected by mining operations in the northern region of Scotland. The research encompasses identifying the most vital members of the network, establishing criteria for identifying communities within the network, comparing, and evaluating them, using models to predict secondary extinctions that occur when a species is removed from the network, and assessing the extent of network damage. Our study's novelty is utilizing network science approaches to investigate the biological data related to interactions between insects and plants.